BIG C CATHOLICS

Many of the Church’s detractors criticize her in light of adherents who don’t “walk the walk.” When encountering such comments, we should remember this quote by G.K. Chesterton: Most Christians fail to fulfill the Christian ideal. This bitter and bracing fact cannot be too much insisted upon in this and every other moral question. But, perhaps, it might be suggested that this failure is not so much the failure of Christians in connection with the Christian ideal as the failure of any men in connection with any ideal. That Christians are not always Christian is obvious; neither are Liberals always liberal, nor Socialists always social, nor Humanitarians always kind, nor Rationalists always rational, nor are gentlemen always gentle, nor do working men always work. If people are especially horrified at the failure of Christian practice, it must be an indirect compliment to the Christian creed.  — G.K. Chesterton

July’s blog of note is Convert Journal . Described as “One guy's journey in the Catholic Church”, since January 2010, George Sipe has chronicled his conversion to and exploration of Catholicism — providing insightful, informative observations along the way. A life-long, single denomination Protestant, Sipe was surprised to find himself becoming a Catholic. From the blog: There are many wonderful Catholic convert stories in print and on the web. This is mine and maybe some part of it will resonate with you. You may have a nagging feeling something is missing in your life. Your church might be changing along a path that does not feel right. Perhaps you wonder what Catholics really believe. I am glad you are here and happy, even if it is just the two of us reading it. … Convert Journal is a treasure trove of information for the curious and the convert. Even lifelong Catholics, well versed in their faith will gain valuable new understanding from the essays and achieved informati

The following videos from the secular media are forceful, articulate presentations of the pro-life position. In a July 20 Fox News Special Report, Senior Political Analyst Brit Hume “laid bare the essentially brutal nature of abortion.” His denouncement of the abortion industry followed the July 14 release of videos showing Planned Parenthood officials coldly discussing the selling of fetal body parts while eating lunch . A compelling debate between GOP candidate Carly Fiorina and Jess McIntosh from Emily's List, on Fox News Sunday (7-26-2015), hosted by Chris Wallace. The discussion on abortion begins at 2:55.

(Article continues below) God's  words of wisdom are found in Sacred Scripture. He tells us that; In the face of this...  Statue of demon idol We should remember this. Driven by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness, Christ triumphs over Satan... CCC §566 Hundreds of people attended Mass at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Detroit on Saturday to protest the debut of an 8 1/2-foot-tall bronze satanic goat statue which depicts the demon idol Baphomet. According to the associated press, the group behind the display, Satanic Temple, installed the statue Saturday at a Detroit location known only to ticket holders. The unveiling was driven underground due to a large public backlash. Hundreds had lined up earlier to get the tickets as Christian protesters rallied nearby. The initial plan for the statue was to publicly erect it next to a Ten Commandments monument located at the Oklahoma state capitol before Oklahoma’s Supreme Court banned religious displays on capitol

This Sunday's gospel story from John, the feeding of the 5,000, is the only miracle (besides the Resurrection) recounted in all four gospels. As such, its significance cannot be overstated. It portrays Jesus as the new Moses who will lead fallen humanity to salvation. When the miracle of the multiplication of loaves is told in the Gospel of John, it is related to the manna in the wilderness. The connection between Moses and Jesus, the manna and the miraculous bread is undeniable. Given the absence of a Last Supper narrative in John’s Gospel, the feeding of the 5,000, is a kind of corporate Eucharist. Upon hearing of the death of John the Baptist, Jesus withdrew privately by boat somewhere near Bethsaida. Christ’s healing ministry and preaching had made him renowned. Consequently, large crowds followed him. When Jesus landed and saw them, he was filled with compassion and healed their sick. As evening fell, the disciples came to Jesus saying, "This is a remote place, and

Fr. René J. Butler, M.S. Director, La Salette Shrine Enfield, NH  Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them... John 6:11 ( Click here for today’s readings ) How much food can you buy for $11,600.00? Maybe 1,365 small pepperoni pizzas. Not enough. Or about 2,900 hamburgers. Not enough. Or about 1,900 rotisserie chickens. Still not enough. Not enough, according to the Apostle Philip, to feed the large crowd that was following Jesus. "Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little," he says. Assuming today’s federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, times 8 hours a day, times 5 days a week, times 40 weeks, you get $11,600.00.  Not enough to feed this crowd. This feeding of the multitude is one of the few events that is recorded in all four Gospels. In each case the text specifies five thousand men, and Matthew even notes that this number does not include women and children. The point in each Gospel is that

I want to draw your attention to the recent pastoral letter by Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington D. C., Being Catholic Today: Catholic Identity in an Age of Challenge . There is a strong animus today against what we believe and our right to follow our faith convictions as Catholics. Cardinal Wuerl's letter is an excellent reflection on our freedom to be followers of Christ and some of the challenges of our age as we live and share our faith.

George Weigel discusses the way forward for the Catholic Church in light of the Supreme Court's perilous  Obergefell v. Hodges  decision. In " The Church and the 'New Normal' " (The Catholic Difference,  June 26, 2015) he outlines seven thoughts: (1) The Supreme Court of the United States [SCOTUS] has rendered a decision that puts the Court at odds with the Constitution, with reason, and with biblical religion. (2) SCOTUS has gotten it wrong before. It got it wrong on race in Dred Scott and it repeated the mistake in   Plessy vs. Ferguson (which upheld segregated public facilities). It got it wrong by concocting a constitutional “right” to abortion-on-demand in Roe vs. Wade and doubled-down on that mistake by getting it wrong on abortion again in Casey vs. Planned Parenthood . Now SCOTUS has gotten it wrong on marriage. ... (3) The marriage battle was lost in the culture long before it was lost in the courts. The foundations of our culture have eroded;

The United States Catholic Conference of Bishops has published a PDF explaining the First Amendment Defense Act . It answers questions about the act and its necessity, such as: What would the First Amendment Defense Act do? The First Amendment Defense Act (H.R. 2802, S. 1598) would bar the federal government from discriminating against individuals and organizations based upon their religious beliefs or moral convictions that marriage is the union of one man and one woman or that sexual relations are properly reserved to such a marriage. The Act provides broad protections against adverse federal actions directed toward individuals and organizations that act on such beliefs. What are some examples of how such individuals and organizations would be protected? The Act would prohibit the federal government from denying or revoking a nonprofit entity’s tax-exempt status. It would also prohibit the federal government from denying or excluding an individual or organizatio